2012 Fiat 500 on 2040-cars

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2016 Fiat 500X Long-Term Wrap Up | Exceeds expectations

Compact crossovers are on the rise. Most shoppers are young and the competition reflects that. Everything, from our long-term 2016 Fiat 500X to the new Toyota C-HR or the upcoming Hyundai Kona, sells just as much on style as it does on substance. Our time with the 500X shows Fiat's entry into the segment has plenty of both. It's not as compromised as something like the Nissan Juke and not as sterile as the Honda HR-V. It proved to be a solid if occasionally troublesome vehicle. What were those troubles? A few wiring issues within the steering column sent car alarms blazing in the middle of the night. The same issue turned on the wipers when using the turn signal. The issues were fixed after a couple trips to the dealer. So yes, the local Fiat dealer did indeed have to fix it again. We did not confirm if the mechanic was named Tony. Still, it was charming and exceeded most of the Autoblog staff's expectations. Based on previous experiences with Fiats, we weren't sure how the 500X would fare over a year. Not all of our long-term cars leave a lasting impression, but we were sure sorry to see this one leave. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore - I always enjoy a night or weekend in the 500X. In fact, it was one of my go-to sign-outs. It's functional. It looks cool inside and out, and it's easy to drive. I dig the small hatchback/crossover vibe. There's room in the trunk for plenty of stuff and the back seat is reasonable for adults. This is the kind of vehicle that could turn Americans on to Fiat. It meets their needs and it's stylishly different. I like driving it. The transmission is a little weird with its shifts, but you get used to it. Sport mode makes the car a lot more responsive and it's a nice feature. The saddle brown interior looks great and held up well, and the exterior is cute with its peering headlights and subtle curves. I actually like driving this car, as opposed to our other recent long-termer, the HR-V, which was dull, slow and lacking in character. You chose the Fiat. You had to take the Honda. Executive Producer Adam Morath - I wanted to love this car, but it just wouldn't let me. First, the good: It's the best looking of the 500 lineup, offers nice utility in a stylish, compact package. The seats aren't going to offer tons of bolstering support, but they are wide and comfortable. Visibility and spacious cabin feel are also pluses. Finally, I love that you can get unique-looking materials to cover the seats.

Fiat builds 1 millionth 500, still a ways to go before passing original

There are now 1.1 million examples of the new Fiat 500 cruising the roads of 83 countries, one million of them made at the Fiat's Tychy plant in Poland, the rest in the Fiat plant in Toluca, Mexico. It's taken 69 months since the car's 2007 launch to reach the milestone, the capstone hatchback being an Abarth 500.
Where does that fit into the historical context? We'll never know, since you can't really compare. But if we played with the numbers, according to Automania, Fiat built 3,893,294 of the original 500 (and variants) from its inception in 1957 to the last model being sent off in 1975. If we average the output over time, and assume an even 18-year production run, the total production divided by 216 months is about 18,025 cars per month, which would make for 1,243,725 cars in 69 months.
On the other hand, the first two generations of the early 500 didn't equate to a million units in eight years, so congratulations Fiat. There's a brief press release below with a few more details on the achievement.

2017 Fiat 124 Spider priced below most Miatas

The Fiat 124 Spider and Mazda MX-5 Miata might be siblings, but all that means is the rivalry between the two cars will be unusually intense. Pricing for the reborn 124 has been released and is added proof of that fact – aside from the very base trim, the turbocharged Italian is cheaper than its Zoom-Zoomy brother. Fiat's base model, the 124 Spider Classica, starts at $25,990. The MX-5 Sport isn't much cheaper, at $25,735. Both cars get 16-inch alloy wheels, black cloth seats, LED taillights, but the Mazda will throw in LED headlights. It's also interesting to note that the two cars have differing destination charges – $995 for the Fiat and $820 for the Mazda. Move up to the mid-range Fiat, and you'll start to see the "Italian" car eke out a pricing advantage. The Lusso, Italian for luxury, rings up at $28,490 compared to the MX-5 Grand Touring's $30,885. Yes, we're comparing the middle-tier 124 to the range-topping Mazda, because the mid-range, enthusiast-oriented Club is more analogous to the 124's Abarth model. The Lusso matches the MX-5 GT with 17-inch alloys, heated leather seats, a 7.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, and dual-zone automatic climate control. The Mazda does come with a bevy of safety features as standard – blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam control – which look to be optional on the Fiat, so take that into consideration if you're thinking about buying one of the two. We enthusiasts are most interested in the matchup between the 124 Spider Abarth and the MX-5 Club. The scorpion-badged 124 starts at $29,190 and the Club at $29,420. You'll get more power – 10 additional ponies according to FCA – as well as all the performance goodies from the Club. There are Bilstein-tuned shocks, a mechanical limited-slip diff, and a front strut bar, plus a very imposing exhaust note. Recaro seats will be an optional extra, as will Brembo brakes (the MX-5 bundles them with BBS wheels). Finally, there's the 124 Spider Prima Edizione Lusso. The limited-edition wears Azzurro Italia (translation: pretty blue) paint and rings in at $35,995, which gets you a bunch of swag on top of the normal Lusso stuff. Oh, and if you choose the automatic transmission, you'll be punished with a $1,350 charge, regardless of which Fiata you go for. That's less than the premium Mazda charges for an automatic on an MX-5 Club or GT, but more than the $1,480 extra it charges for a two-pedal Sport.